Urban wetlands are considered as"habitat islands"within the urban matrix that contribute to species conservation.Waterbirds are sensitive pollution indicators in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems,and their ...Urban wetlands are considered as"habitat islands"within the urban matrix that contribute to species conservation.Waterbirds are sensitive pollution indicators in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems,and their diversity in urban wetlands reflects the response of wildlife to urbanization.However,very few studies have investigated seasonal differences in the multidimensional diversity of waterbirds in urbanized landscapes.In this study,we analyzed various wetland parameters that could potentially affect the seasonal variations in multidimensional diversity of waterbirds in Nanjing,China.We surveyed waterbirds in 29 urban wetlands using the point count method during breeding and non-breeding seasons from November 2022 to June 2023.We then employed multiple linear regressions and information-theoretic approaches to investigate the impact of wetland characteristics on waterbird diversity.We found that water body area and buffer zone connectivity consistently emerged as positive factors affecting waterbird taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity across seasons.Conversely,the urbanization synthetic index was negatively correlated with waterbird diversity only during the breeding season.Regarding functional diversity,we found that the positive correlation between buffer zone connectivity and waterbird diversity was specific to the breeding season.Therefore,for effective conservation of waterbird diversity in our system,wetland planning should prioritize expanding wetland water body areas,enhancing wetland connectivity,minimizing human disturbance during the breeding season,and implementing ecological restoration measures in urbanized wetlands to mitigate adverse effects of urbanization.展开更多
The shallow lake wetlands in the middle and lower Yangtze River floodplain are important wintering and stopover habitats for migratory waterbirds on the East Asia-Australia Flyway.With increasing fishery practices in ...The shallow lake wetlands in the middle and lower Yangtze River floodplain are important wintering and stopover habitats for migratory waterbirds on the East Asia-Australia Flyway.With increasing fishery practices in recent years,however,the wetlands have deteriorated significantly and now threaten wintering waterbirds.To gain insight into the influence of deteriorating wetlands on waterbirds,we conducted a survey of wintering waterbird species,population size,and distribution across 11 belt transects in Caizi Lake and Shengjin Lake,two shallow lakes along the Yangtze River in Anhui Province from November 2007-April 2008 and from November 2008-April 2009,respectively.The impacts of different fishery patterns on the distribution of waterbirds were also analyzed.A total of 43 waterbirds species belong to 7 orders of 12 families were counted during the surveys,of which 38 were found in Caizi Lake with a density of 8.2 ind./hm2,and 42 in Shengjin Lake with a density of 3.5 ind./hm2.Geese（Anser cygnoides）,bean geese（Anser fabalis）,tundra swan（Cygnus columbianus）,and dunlin（Calidris alpina） were the dominant species in the two shallow lakes.Species number and individual assemble reached maximum at the end of December and in early January of the following year,without coincidence of the largest flock for different ecological groups.Based on waterbird diversity across the 11 belt transects and the fishery patterns,habitats could be divided into three groups.Gruiformes,Anseriformes and Charadriiformes had relatively higher densities in the natural fishery zones and lower densities in the cage fishery zones;whereas,the density of Ardeidae showed little change across all lake zones.It is important to develop sustainable fishery patterns in shallow lakes along the middle and lower Yangtze River floodplain to better protect resources of wintering waterbirds.展开更多
Wintering waterbirds surveys were conducted throughout the coastal areas of Hainan,China,from 2003 to 2005,with the aim of further strengthening the conservation and management of wetlands in Hainan Island.A total of ...Wintering waterbirds surveys were conducted throughout the coastal areas of Hainan,China,from 2003 to 2005,with the aim of further strengthening the conservation and management of wetlands in Hainan Island.A total of 68 species were recorded at 20 coastal wetlands.Three recently found wintering sites for the globally endangered Black-faced Spoonbill (Plataleaminor),i.e.Houshui Bay of Lingao,Beili Bay of Dongfang Counties and Sanya River in Sanya City were then extensively monitored during a period of 2003-2009.The largest number of birds were egrets and herons,followed by shorebirds,gulls and terns.On average,the total number of species and individuals at sites with mangrove forests were significantly greater than those of sites without mangrove forests.Some sites,important for conservation,were identified,such as Bopu Bay,Huanglonggang,Houshui Bay,Yangpugang,Beili Bay,Yinggehai,Sanya River,Qinlangang and Dongzhaigang.Thus,human disturbance at these important sites should be avoided.展开更多
Background: China is one of the countries with abundant waterbird diversity. Over the past decades, China's waterbirds have suffered increasing threats from direct and indirect human activities. It is important to...Background: China is one of the countries with abundant waterbird diversity. Over the past decades, China's waterbirds have suffered increasing threats from direct and indirect human activities. It is important to clarify the population trends of and threats to waterbirds as well as to put forward conservation recommendations.Methods: We collected data of population trends of a total of 260 waterbird species in China from Wetlands International database. We calculated the number of species with increasing, declining, stable, and unknown trends. We collected threatened levels of waterbirds from the Red List of China's Vertebrates(2016), which was compiled according to the IUCN criteria of threatened species. Based on literature review, we refined the major threats to the threatened waterbird species in China.Results: Of the total 260 waterbird species in China, 84 species(32.3%) exhibited declining, 35 species(13.5%) kept stable, and 16 species(6.2%) showed increasing trends. Population trends were unknown for 125 species(48.1%). There was no significant difference in population trends between the migratory(32.4% decline) and resident(31.8% decline) species or among waterbirds distributed exclusively along coasts(28.6% decline), inland(36.6% decline), and both coasts and inland(32.5% decline). A total of 38 species(15.1% of the total) were listed as threatened species and 27 species(10.8% of the total) Near Threatened species. Habitat loss was the major threat to waterbirds, with 32 of the total 38(84.2%) threatened species being affected. In addition, 73.7%(28 species), 71.1%(27 species), and 57.9%(22 species) of the threatened species were affected by human disturbance, environmental pollution, and illegal hunting, respectively.Conclusions: We propose recommendations for waterbird conservation, including(1) strengthening conservation of nature wetlands and restoration of degraded wetlands,(2) enhancing public awareness on waterbird conservation,(3) improving the enforcement of Wildlife Protection Law and cracking down on illegal hunting,(4) carrying out longterm waterbird surveys to clarify population dynamics,(5) restoring populations of highly-threatened species through artificial intervention, and(6) promoting international and regional exchanges and cooperation to share information in waterbirds and their conservation.展开更多
Background:China's coastal wetlands belong to some of the most threatened ecosystems worldwide.The loss and degradation of these wetlands seriously threaten waterbirds that depend on wetlands.Methods:The China Coa...Background:China's coastal wetlands belong to some of the most threatened ecosystems worldwide.The loss and degradation of these wetlands seriously threaten waterbirds that depend on wetlands.Methods:The China Coastal Waterbird Census was organized by volunteer birdwatchers in China's coastal region.Waterbirds were surveyed synchronously once every month at 14 sites,as well as irregularly at a further 18 sites,between September 2005 and December 2013.Results:A total of 75 species of waterbirds met the 1 % population level Ramsar listing criterion at least once at one site.The number of birds of the following species accounted for over 20 % of the total flyway populations at a single site:Mute Swan(Cygnus olor),Siberia Crane(Grus leucogeranus),Far Eastern Oystercatcher(Haematopus osculans),Bar-tailed Godwit(Limosa lapponica),Spotted Greenshank(Tringa guttifer),Great Knot(Calidris tenuirostris),Spoon-billed Sandpiper(Calidris pygmeus),Saunders' s Gull(Larus saundersi),Relict Gull(Larus relictus),Great Cormorant(Phalacrocorax carbo),Eurasian Spoonbill(Platalea leucorodia),Black-faced Spoonbill(Platalea minor) and Dalmatian Pelican(Pelecanus crispus).A total of 26 sites supported at least one species of which their number met the1 % criterion.Forty-two species met the 1 % criterion in the Yellow River Delta,Shandong;29 at the Cangzhou coast,Hebei and 26 species at the Lianyungang coast,Jiangsu.Conclusions:The results highlight the international importance of China's coastal wetlands for waterbirds.This study also demonstrates that participation of local birdwatchers in waterbird surveys results in data that are invaluable not only for understanding the current status of waterbirds in China's coastal regions but also for waterbird conservation and management.展开更多
The hydrological regime in wetlands plays an important role in the process of wintering waterbird metacommunity assemblage.However,increasing frequency of extreme climate and the intensification of human activities,su...The hydrological regime in wetlands plays an important role in the process of wintering waterbird metacommunity assemblage.However,increasing frequency of extreme climate and the intensification of human activities,such as the construction of sluices and dams,have resulted in frequently abnormal hydrological regime in the middle and lower Yangtze River floodplain.In recent years,earlier flood recession has become one of the main hydrological problems faced in the shallow lakes,having a great impact on wetland biodiversity.It is necessary to understand the impact of earlier flood recession on waterbirds,an indicator of wetland biodiversity,and the metacommunity concept is helpful to elucidate the underlying mechanism involved in the processes of assemblage by waterbird communities.In this study,we surveyed the wintering waterbirds at three sub-lakes of Caizi Lakes during 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 and compared the richness,abundance,alpha and beta diversity of waterbirds in and among local metacommunities under earlier flood recession and normal hydrological regime.The results showed that the earlier flood recession reduced the species richness in the early stage and abundance in the late stage,it also reduced the Shannon-Wiener index in the early stage and increased the dissimilarity between and within waterbird metacommunities in the late stage.The partition of beta diversity showed that the turnover component played a major role in the process of waterbird metacommunity assemblage.It was found that the earlier flood recession reduced the richness,abundance in different stages of flood recession,which also increased the turnover of waterbirds.Metacommunities with high habitat heterogeneity had better resistance to abnormal hydrological regime,which resulted in high dissimilarity between and within metacommunities.The results of this study provide important information for waterbird conservation and water level management at shallow lakes in the middle and lower Yangtze River floodplain.展开更多
The Yangtze River floodplain is critical for migratory waterbirds along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF). Greater awareness of its global importance is urgently needed to ensure waterbird populations remain i...The Yangtze River floodplain is critical for migratory waterbirds along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF). Greater awareness of its global importance is urgently needed to ensure waterbird populations remain in favourable conservation status, as well as the enhancement of wider wetland biodiversity within this region. The designation of protected wetland areas and building a green ecological corridor in the Yangtze floodplain is now becoming a critical issue of interest to the Chinese government. Priority sites in this area were identified based on the criteria used to identify sites that qualify as Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Sites) and Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) by using multi-source data. The results show that 140 of the sites surveyed are priority sites. The Importance Index (/) for the whole floodplain decreased slightly from 2001–2005 and an unbalanced distribution pattern is evident with Jiangxi and Hunan provinces significantly higher than the other provinces in the floodplain. Although more than 60% of the priority sites are currently located outside protected areas, the average Conservation Effectiveness Index (C) of the whole floodplain is 75.6%, which suggests the coverage of protected areas for most wintering waterbird population is reasonable. Conservation of the Yangtze River floodplain needs to be further strengthened due to declining waterbird abundances and the mismatch between the distribution of protected areas and their importance for wintering waterbirds. A comprehensive system for priority site identification and protection and scientific review is needed. Multi-sourced data from regular, systematic and coordinated monitoring of waterbird distribution and abundance across the EAAF, as well as national scale citizen science programmes are also critically important.展开更多
The wetlands of Casiguran, Aurora, Philippines are primarily the source of livelihood for most of the coastal communities of the area. However, this also serves as a feeding ground for many of the migratory and reside...The wetlands of Casiguran, Aurora, Philippines are primarily the source of livelihood for most of the coastal communities of the area. However, this also serves as a feeding ground for many of the migratory and resident waterbirds. There are waterbird species occurring in the area that need protection but only a few studies of these species exist. This study was conducted from February to March 2019 to census and identify the water birds present in the study site, determine the conservation status and index of abundance of identified waterbirds, and describe their habitat association. Based on the result, 18 waterbird species in five families were present in the area. Family Ardeidae had six representative species, Family Charadriidae had five representative species, Family Scolopacidae had five representative species while only one species represents the Family Anatidae and Family Rallidae. Two waterbird species observed (Anas luzonica and Egretta eulophotes) were listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as vulnerable and another species (Numerius madagascariensis) was listed as endangered. In terms of abundance, Intermediate Egret (Egretta intermedia) was revealed as the most abundant (94.68%) among waterbirds. Different waterbird species prefer specific habitats. Some usually frequent freshwater and saltwater habitats, including mangroves, open sea, and watercourses inside forests while some were observed in mudflats, and rice fields during the survey.展开更多
Considering the crucial role of wetland conservation in China for the sustainability of biodiversity,it is imperative to identify key habitat functional areas(KHFAs),which are suitable for sustaining waterbirds and en...Considering the crucial role of wetland conservation in China for the sustainability of biodiversity,it is imperative to identify key habitat functional areas(KHFAs),which are suitable for sustaining waterbirds and ensuring landscape connectivity,to optimize wetland management.This study identifies the past changes,present status,and future patterns of wetland KHFAs in China by using the Zonation model with comprehensive data inputs,including wetland distribution,key bird distribution areas(such as Ramsar sites and Important Bird Areas),and flagship waterbird species.Results show that the current wetland KHFAs in China is 41,613.5 km^(2),mainly in the Sanjiang Plain(SJP),Songnen Plain(SNP),middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River,and the QinghaiXizang Plateau(QXP)regions.The area of wetland KHFAs has been declining since 1990,especially in 2000,mainly due to anthropogenic impacts such as urbanization and agricultural expansion.The future projections suggest a continued decline in the area of wetland KHFAs,although the trend is expected to be slowed.The conservation gap analysis indicates that prioritizing wetland reserves in KHFAs areas,such as the SJP,SNP,and QXP,can significantly enhance the protection of wetland flagship species and their habitats.The results of this study establish conservation priorities that align with national goals of a 55% wetland protection rate and the global biodiversity framework in protected areas and biodiversity,indicating that the spatial conservation optimization approach is an effective method for identifying wetland KHFAs.展开更多
Effective conservation relies on robust assessments;however,the lack of waterbird data in the Yellow River Basin(YRB)has led to an underestimation of key habitat significance.This study addressed this gap by evaluatin...Effective conservation relies on robust assessments;however,the lack of waterbird data in the Yellow River Basin(YRB)has led to an underestimation of key habitat significance.This study addressed this gap by evaluating YRB wetland conservation importance using waterbirds as indicators and applying Ramsar,Important Bird Areas(IBA),and East Asian-Australasian Flyway(EAAF)criteria.We integrated coordinated surveys with citizen science data,creating a framework that tackles data deficiencies along the under-monitored Central Asian Flyway(CAF).Our analysis identified 75 priority wetlands,supporting 15 threatened species and 49 exceeding global/flyway 1%thresholds,highlighting the basin's biodiversity.We observed strong seasonal habitat use,with high-altitude wetlands vital for breeding and migration,and the Yellow River Delta providing year-round refuge.This research also provided data to refine Baer's Pochard population estimates.Alarmingly,one-third of the identified priority areas,primarily rivers and lakes,remain unprotected.To address this,we recommend systematic surveys,enhanced protected areas,OECMs,and targeted wetland restoration.This study underscores the YRB's role in regional conservation and provides essential data for adaptive management,particularly emphasizing the CAF's importance.展开更多
As one of the important wintering areas along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway,wetlands in the Yangtze River floodplain face threats from land-use changes,yet its effects on wintering waterbirds at the landscape lev...As one of the important wintering areas along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway,wetlands in the Yangtze River floodplain face threats from land-use changes,yet its effects on wintering waterbirds at the landscape level remain understudied,impeding conservation practice.Here,using survey data collected across 14 inland lakes in Jiangsu Province in 2022,we calculated wintering waterbirds diversity(taxonomic,functional,phylogenetic)and assembly patterns(MPD/MNTD of functional and phylogenetic).Then,we interpreted satellite imagery of lake areas and buffer zones(5 km),and partitioned them into three land-use and landscape index categories(anthropogenic,ecological,and lake landscape).Finally,we employed multiple linear regression and hierarchical partitioning to explain the influence of landscape scales on wintering waterbird communities.Our results showed that the diversity and assembly of regional wintering waterbird communities tended to be consistent across taxonomic,functional,and phylogenetic dimensions.The standardized diversity indices indicated that functional assembly of communities tends to be clustered at both local and regional scale.In contrast,the phylogenetic structure showed a predominantly overdispersed pattern in most lakes at the local scale,while neutral processes dominated at the regional scale.Modeling showed that selected variables explained waterbird diversity and assembly well.Lake fragmentation increased species evenness but reduced other diversity indices,while landscape evenness was negatively associated with functional and phylogenetic assembly.Among anthropogenic factors,aquaculture ponds and impervious surfaces reduced all diversity dimensions,whereas cropland connectivity enhanced phylogenetic diversity.These factors had consistent effects on community assembly.For ecological variables,grassland area enhanced functional and phylogenetic diversity but led to more clustered functional assembly.Overall,maintaining the integrity and connectivity of lakes and their surrounding landscapes is essential for sustaining waterbird diversity and guiding wetland restoration.展开更多
Wetland waterbirds serve as key ecological indicators for assessing habitat quality and biodiversity.Accurate identification of waterbird species is a cornerstone of long-term ecological monitoring.The resulting data ...Wetland waterbirds serve as key ecological indicators for assessing habitat quality and biodiversity.Accurate identification of waterbird species is a cornerstone of long-term ecological monitoring.The resulting data are critical for assessing wetland ecosystem health and biodiversity.However,prevailing recognition approaches often prioritize detection accuracy at the expense of computational efficiency.They are also hindered by complex background heterogeneity and interspecies visual similarity.These limitations hinder the scalability and practical deployment of such methods for on-site ecological monitoring within wetland ecosystems.To address these challenges,this study proposes an optimized end-to-end framework,ShuffleNetV2-iRMB-ShapeIoU-YOLO(SISYOLO),designed for robust recognition of wetland waterbirds in complex environments.Specifically,the proposed framework integrates ShuffleNetV2 with inverted Residual Mobile Blocks(iRMB) to improve computational efficiency while maintaining robust feature representation.This design further enables deployment on resource-constrained mobile and embedded platforms.Additionally,ShapeIoU,a refined bounding box similarity metric,is introduced to jointly optimize overlap and shape consistency,effectively mitigating misclassification among visually similar species.Experimental results on the IC-Beijing dataset show that SIS-YOLO achieves 91.1% precision and 79.1% mAP@0.5:0.95 with only 2.9 million parameters.Compared with the lightweight baseline YOLOv8n,it improves precision by 2% and mAP@0.5:0.95 by 1.2%,while requiring fewer parameters and offering higher computational efficiency.展开更多
Environmental DNA(e DNA)methods have emerged as a promising tool for studying a broad spectrum of biological taxa.However,metabarcoding studies of avian biodiversity using e DNA have received little attention.In this ...Environmental DNA(e DNA)methods have emerged as a promising tool for studying a broad spectrum of biological taxa.However,metabarcoding studies of avian biodiversity using e DNA have received little attention.In this study,we compared waterbird biodiversity derived from e DNA metabarcoding with that obtained from traditional point counting surveys at 23 sites in Tai Lake of eastern China and evaluated the accuracy of e DNA metabarcoding for waterbird community studies.The point counting method recorded a higher total number of waterbird species(22)compared to the e DNA technique(16).While e DNA achieved a 74.5%detection rate for waterbird species and was able to identify a significantly greater number of species(12.48±1.97)at each sampling site than point counting method(6.13±2.69),particularly highlighting several rare and elusive species,it failed to detect some species commonly observed by the point counting method.The alpha diversity analysis revealed no significant differences in waterbird diversity between the e DNA method and the point counting method,except that the e DNA method exhibited lower Pielou evenness.Waterbird e DNA sequencing abundance correlated significantly with species occurrence,whereas Spearman's analysis indicated no significant difference between e DNA sequence abundance and species abundance from the point counting method.e DNA method detected no significant difference in waterbird composition between sampling sites,while the point counting method revealed significant differences.Consequently,e DNA is an effective complementary tool for assessing the diversity of wintering waterbirds in lakes,though it is unable to capture the full diversity of waterbird communities.It is crucial to develop sampling strategies that comprehensively monitor species composition and integrate e DNA with traditional survey methods for accurate evaluation of community structure.展开更多
Understanding migration patterns and spatial connectivity is crucial for conserving long-distance migratory birds. While satellite telemetry has advanced the study of large gulls, Pallas's Gull (Ichthyaetus ichthy...Understanding migration patterns and spatial connectivity is crucial for conserving long-distance migratory birds. While satellite telemetry has advanced the study of large gulls, Pallas's Gull (Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus) remains relatively understudied, with limited data on its migration routes and habitat use, particularly in Central Asia. This study integrates 684 ring recoveries (1968–2024) and GPS tracking data to analyze the migration ecology of individuals breeding at Alakol Lake, Kazakhstan. Ring recoveries confirm migratory connectivity across Kazakhstan, Russia, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Pakistan, with wintering records as far as India, Kuwait, Bangladesh, and Ethiopia. GPS tracking of a single individual (June 2020–August 2021) revealed a migration route from Alakol Lake to the Arabian Sea, with key stopovers at Zaisan Lake, Balkhash Lake, the Aral Sea, Aydar Lake, and the Amu Darya River. Notably, a post-breeding northward dispersal to Zaisan Lake and southern Russia was identified before the southward migration commenced. These findings highlight the significance of Kazakhstan's lakes as breeding and migratory hubs and the need to protect critical stopover sites in Central Asia. Given increasing anthropogenic pressures on wetland habitats, this research provides essential baseline data for conservation planning and enhances the broader understanding of gull migration ecology.展开更多
Highly pathogenic avian influenza(HPAI)H5 viruses have caused widespread mortality in wild birds and poultry,with increasing spillover risk into mammals.The recently dominant clade 2.3.4.4b has produced multiple epide...Highly pathogenic avian influenza(HPAI)H5 viruses have caused widespread mortality in wild birds and poultry,with increasing spillover risk into mammals.The recently dominant clade 2.3.4.4b has produced multiple epidemic waves,first driven by H5N8 and more recently by H5N1,which has spread more rapidly,infected a broader host range,and caused higher mortality.While earlier studies identified consistent roles of waterbird community composition in shaping HPAI outbreaks,it remains unclear whether these factors also apply to the currently circulating H5N1.We analyzed HPAI H5N1 outbreaks in European wild birds during the 2021/22epidemic,examining the influence of waterbird communities and environmental variables,and compared these patterns with earlier epidemics,including H5N1 in 2005/06 and H5N8 in 2016/17 and 2020/21.Our results showed that waterbird abundance,species richness,and the abundance of key species were positively associated with disease occurrence,whereas phylogenetic diversity was negatively associated,suggesting greater interspecific transmission among closely related hosts.Models trained on earlier epidemics accurately predicted the H5N1 occurrence in 2021/22.These findings demonstrate consistent effects of waterbird community composition across multiple epidemics and highlight their values as predictors of HPAI risk.Integrating community metrics into surveillance and early-warning systems can strengthen our capacity to anticipate future outbreaks across clades and subtypes.展开更多
Nestedness has been a research focus in fields of island biogeography and community ecology in recent decades. Although nestedness of faunal assemblages has been investigated in natural wetlands, it remains largely un...Nestedness has been a research focus in fields of island biogeography and community ecology in recent decades. Although nestedness of faunal assemblages has been investigated in natural wetlands, it remains largely unknown whether and why waterbird communities in artificial wetlands follow n ested patter ns. We exami ned the existence of n ested ness and un derlyi ng drivers in waterbird comm un ities in subside nee wetlands that are recently created by large-scale un derground coal mining in the North China Plain. Twelve point-count surveys for waterbirds were undertaken approximately every 2 weeks in 55 subside nee wetla nds from September 2016 to April 2017. We used the metric WNODF to estimate nestedness of the assemblages. Partial Spearman rank correlations were performed to examine the association between the nestedness and habitat variables (wetland area, landscape connectivity, wetland age, and habitat diversity) as well as life-history traits (body size, clutch size, dispersal ratio, geographical range size, and migrant status) related to species exti notion risk and colon izati on rate. Waterbird assemblages in the subside nee wetla nds were significantly nested. After controlling for other independent variables, the magnitude of nestedness was significantly and negatively correlated with wetland area and species trait linked to extinction risk (i.e., geographical range size). Our results indicate that selective extinction may be the main driver of the nestedness of waterbird assemblages in our study system. However, the nestedness was not due to passive sampling, selective colonization, or habitat diversity. From a conservation viewpoint, both large wetlands and waterbirds with a small geographic range should be protected to maximize the preserved species richness.展开更多
Background: Parasites have adverse effects on the life and survival of many migratory waterbirds, especially birds on the endangered species list. Hooded Cranes are large migratory colonial waterbirds wintering in wet...Background: Parasites have adverse effects on the life and survival of many migratory waterbirds, especially birds on the endangered species list. Hooded Cranes are large migratory colonial waterbirds wintering in wetlands,which are prone to parasite infection, thus monitoring the diversity of parasites is important for sound wetland management and protection of this species.Methods: From November 2012 to April 2013, we collected 821 fresh faecal samples from the three lakes(Poyang,Caizi and Shengjin Lake) in the lower and middle Yangtze River floodplain, and detected with saturated brine floating and centrifugal sedimentation methods. Parasite eggs were quantified with a modified Mc Master's counting method.Results: In this study, 11 species of parasites were discovered, i.e., two coccidium(Eimeria gruis, E. reichenowi), five nematodes(Capillaria sp., Strongyloides sp., Ascaridia sp., Trichostrongylus sp., Ancylostomatidae), three trematodes(Echinostoma sp., Echinochasmus sp., Fasciolopsis sp.) and one cestode(Hymenolepis sp.). About 57.7% of the faecal samples showed parasitic infection. All species of parasites were found at the three sites except Hymenolepis which was not found at Poyang Lake. While most samples were affected by only one or two species of parasites, infection by Eimeria spp. was the most common(53.1%). From One-Way ANOVA analysis of the three lakes, parasite species richness index(p = 0.656), diversity index(p = 0.598) and evenness index(p = 0.612) showed no significant difference. According to the statistical analysis of our data, there were no significant difference in parasite species richness index(p = 0.678) and evenness index(p = 0.238) between wintering periods, but a strong difference in diversity index(p < 0.05).Conclusions: Our study suggests that in the wintering Hooded Crane populations, parasite diversity is more sensitive to changes in the overwintering periods than to locations. This also indicates that with the limitations of migration distance, the parasites may not form the differentiation in Hooded Crane populations of the three lakes.展开更多
Construction of man-made objects such as roads and bridges can influence wildlife presence and abundance. We investtigated waterbirds, songbirds, anurans, turtles, small mammals, and furbearers along the Ohio River, W...Construction of man-made objects such as roads and bridges can influence wildlife presence and abundance. We investtigated waterbirds, songbirds, anurans, turtles, small mammals, and furbearers along the Ohio River, WV, at a new bridge crossing, a 45-year old bridge, and 1 or 2 islands with no bridge and at 3 distances from the bridge or center point at each site (0 m,100 m, and300 m). We sampled 19 waterbird, 60 songbird, 7 anuran, 5 turtle, 9 small mammal, and 4 furbearer species. Great blue heron (Ardea herodias) abundances were greater at the site with no bridge. Songbird composition differed among sites and between transects under and away from the bridge with higher abundances or association of rock pigeon (Columba livia) and cliff swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) under the bridges and lower abundances ofCarolinawren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) and common yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) under the bridges. Total small mammal abundance, diversity, and richness were lower under the new bridge compared to other sites and distances. We conclude that overall the new bridge is causing minimal relative abundance impacts to wildlife. However, great blue heron abundance may be altered due to noise and activity from the presence of the bridge and minor short-term impacts to some songbirds and small mammals directly under the bridge in the form of habitat conversion, fragmentation, and loss due to removal of vegetation is apparent.展开更多
Background: While agriculture has taken much environmental water in Australia's Murray-Darling Basin, agricultural expansion has resulted in a vast number of farm dams, almost three-quarters of a million in the Mu...Background: While agriculture has taken much environmental water in Australia's Murray-Darling Basin, agricultural expansion has resulted in a vast number of farm dams, almost three-quarters of a million in the Murray-Darling Basin alone.Methods: Over a summer we studied(1) waterbird abundance and species richness and(2) the influence of biophysical and landscape characteristics across 49 farm dams at a large mixed-enterprise farm in northern Victoria on the southern reach of the Murray-Darling Basin.Results: On average, dams were found to host 27.1 ± 71.1 individuals/ha and 1.8 ± 2.9 species per pond. Such densities are comparable to those on natural wetlands. Dam surface area and perimeter and amount of vegetation were positively and strongly correlated with the Rallidae density(birds/ha), but no other parameters were strongly correlated with any other functional group. The landscape in which the dams were embedded had a highly significant effect(p < 0.001) on the number of birds found on a dam.Conclusions: Our research needs to be complemented with further studies in other parts of the Basin and on other taxa, but given at our site they supported similar densities of individuals and species to natural wetlands, and given the fact that there are 710,539 farm dams in the Murray-Darling Basin, which hosts much of Australia's waterbird fauna, it is reasonable to suggest that farm dams are overlooked, and possibly very important, avian biodiversity hotspots. It also highlights the importance of a landscape setting, in which dams are situated, on the number of birds using the dams.展开更多
Seagull Lake is an unusual saline lake,having a marine spring connected to a large continental ecosystem.With climate change the balance between the two is likely to change.This lake originated about 6000 years ago as a
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32271743).
文摘Urban wetlands are considered as"habitat islands"within the urban matrix that contribute to species conservation.Waterbirds are sensitive pollution indicators in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems,and their diversity in urban wetlands reflects the response of wildlife to urbanization.However,very few studies have investigated seasonal differences in the multidimensional diversity of waterbirds in urbanized landscapes.In this study,we analyzed various wetland parameters that could potentially affect the seasonal variations in multidimensional diversity of waterbirds in Nanjing,China.We surveyed waterbirds in 29 urban wetlands using the point count method during breeding and non-breeding seasons from November 2022 to June 2023.We then employed multiple linear regressions and information-theoretic approaches to investigate the impact of wetland characteristics on waterbird diversity.We found that water body area and buffer zone connectivity consistently emerged as positive factors affecting waterbird taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity across seasons.Conversely,the urbanization synthetic index was negatively correlated with waterbird diversity only during the breeding season.Regarding functional diversity,we found that the positive correlation between buffer zone connectivity and waterbird diversity was specific to the breeding season.Therefore,for effective conservation of waterbird diversity in our system,wetland planning should prioritize expanding wetland water body areas,enhancing wetland connectivity,minimizing human disturbance during the breeding season,and implementing ecological restoration measures in urbanized wetlands to mitigate adverse effects of urbanization.
基金Supported partly by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(30870317)EU-China Biodiversity Programme(00056783)Anhui Academic and Technical Leader Fund
文摘The shallow lake wetlands in the middle and lower Yangtze River floodplain are important wintering and stopover habitats for migratory waterbirds on the East Asia-Australia Flyway.With increasing fishery practices in recent years,however,the wetlands have deteriorated significantly and now threaten wintering waterbirds.To gain insight into the influence of deteriorating wetlands on waterbirds,we conducted a survey of wintering waterbird species,population size,and distribution across 11 belt transects in Caizi Lake and Shengjin Lake,two shallow lakes along the Yangtze River in Anhui Province from November 2007-April 2008 and from November 2008-April 2009,respectively.The impacts of different fishery patterns on the distribution of waterbirds were also analyzed.A total of 43 waterbirds species belong to 7 orders of 12 families were counted during the surveys,of which 38 were found in Caizi Lake with a density of 8.2 ind./hm2,and 42 in Shengjin Lake with a density of 3.5 ind./hm2.Geese（Anser cygnoides）,bean geese（Anser fabalis）,tundra swan（Cygnus columbianus）,and dunlin（Calidris alpina） were the dominant species in the two shallow lakes.Species number and individual assemble reached maximum at the end of December and in early January of the following year,without coincidence of the largest flock for different ecological groups.Based on waterbird diversity across the 11 belt transects and the fishery patterns,habitats could be divided into three groups.Gruiformes,Anseriformes and Charadriiformes had relatively higher densities in the natural fishery zones and lower densities in the cage fishery zones;whereas,the density of Ardeidae showed little change across all lake zones.It is important to develop sustainable fishery patterns in shallow lakes along the middle and lower Yangtze River floodplain to better protect resources of wintering waterbirds.
基金supported by the State Forestry Administration of China,WWF-China and the Forestry Department of Hainan Province
文摘Wintering waterbirds surveys were conducted throughout the coastal areas of Hainan,China,from 2003 to 2005,with the aim of further strengthening the conservation and management of wetlands in Hainan Island.A total of 68 species were recorded at 20 coastal wetlands.Three recently found wintering sites for the globally endangered Black-faced Spoonbill (Plataleaminor),i.e.Houshui Bay of Lingao,Beili Bay of Dongfang Counties and Sanya River in Sanya City were then extensively monitored during a period of 2003-2009.The largest number of birds were egrets and herons,followed by shorebirds,gulls and terns.On average,the total number of species and individuals at sites with mangrove forests were significantly greater than those of sites without mangrove forests.Some sites,important for conservation,were identified,such as Bopu Bay,Huanglonggang,Houshui Bay,Yangpugang,Beili Bay,Yinggehai,Sanya River,Qinlangang and Dongzhaigang.Thus,human disturbance at these important sites should be avoided.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.31572280 and 31071939)
文摘Background: China is one of the countries with abundant waterbird diversity. Over the past decades, China's waterbirds have suffered increasing threats from direct and indirect human activities. It is important to clarify the population trends of and threats to waterbirds as well as to put forward conservation recommendations.Methods: We collected data of population trends of a total of 260 waterbird species in China from Wetlands International database. We calculated the number of species with increasing, declining, stable, and unknown trends. We collected threatened levels of waterbirds from the Red List of China's Vertebrates(2016), which was compiled according to the IUCN criteria of threatened species. Based on literature review, we refined the major threats to the threatened waterbird species in China.Results: Of the total 260 waterbird species in China, 84 species(32.3%) exhibited declining, 35 species(13.5%) kept stable, and 16 species(6.2%) showed increasing trends. Population trends were unknown for 125 species(48.1%). There was no significant difference in population trends between the migratory(32.4% decline) and resident(31.8% decline) species or among waterbirds distributed exclusively along coasts(28.6% decline), inland(36.6% decline), and both coasts and inland(32.5% decline). A total of 38 species(15.1% of the total) were listed as threatened species and 27 species(10.8% of the total) Near Threatened species. Habitat loss was the major threat to waterbirds, with 32 of the total 38(84.2%) threatened species being affected. In addition, 73.7%(28 species), 71.1%(27 species), and 57.9%(22 species) of the threatened species were affected by human disturbance, environmental pollution, and illegal hunting, respectively.Conclusions: We propose recommendations for waterbird conservation, including(1) strengthening conservation of nature wetlands and restoration of degraded wetlands,(2) enhancing public awareness on waterbird conservation,(3) improving the enforcement of Wildlife Protection Law and cracking down on illegal hunting,(4) carrying out longterm waterbird surveys to clarify population dynamics,(5) restoring populations of highly-threatened species through artificial intervention, and(6) promoting international and regional exchanges and cooperation to share information in waterbirds and their conservation.
文摘Background:China's coastal wetlands belong to some of the most threatened ecosystems worldwide.The loss and degradation of these wetlands seriously threaten waterbirds that depend on wetlands.Methods:The China Coastal Waterbird Census was organized by volunteer birdwatchers in China's coastal region.Waterbirds were surveyed synchronously once every month at 14 sites,as well as irregularly at a further 18 sites,between September 2005 and December 2013.Results:A total of 75 species of waterbirds met the 1 % population level Ramsar listing criterion at least once at one site.The number of birds of the following species accounted for over 20 % of the total flyway populations at a single site:Mute Swan(Cygnus olor),Siberia Crane(Grus leucogeranus),Far Eastern Oystercatcher(Haematopus osculans),Bar-tailed Godwit(Limosa lapponica),Spotted Greenshank(Tringa guttifer),Great Knot(Calidris tenuirostris),Spoon-billed Sandpiper(Calidris pygmeus),Saunders' s Gull(Larus saundersi),Relict Gull(Larus relictus),Great Cormorant(Phalacrocorax carbo),Eurasian Spoonbill(Platalea leucorodia),Black-faced Spoonbill(Platalea minor) and Dalmatian Pelican(Pelecanus crispus).A total of 26 sites supported at least one species of which their number met the1 % criterion.Forty-two species met the 1 % criterion in the Yellow River Delta,Shandong;29 at the Cangzhou coast,Hebei and 26 species at the Lianyungang coast,Jiangsu.Conclusions:The results highlight the international importance of China's coastal wetlands for waterbirds.This study also demonstrates that participation of local birdwatchers in waterbird surveys results in data that are invaluable not only for understanding the current status of waterbirds in China's coastal regions but also for waterbird conservation and management.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32171530)the Scientific and Technology Project of the Anhui Provincial Group Limited for Yangtze-to-Huaihe Water Diversion(YJJH-ZT-ZX-20180404062)。
文摘The hydrological regime in wetlands plays an important role in the process of wintering waterbird metacommunity assemblage.However,increasing frequency of extreme climate and the intensification of human activities,such as the construction of sluices and dams,have resulted in frequently abnormal hydrological regime in the middle and lower Yangtze River floodplain.In recent years,earlier flood recession has become one of the main hydrological problems faced in the shallow lakes,having a great impact on wetland biodiversity.It is necessary to understand the impact of earlier flood recession on waterbirds,an indicator of wetland biodiversity,and the metacommunity concept is helpful to elucidate the underlying mechanism involved in the processes of assemblage by waterbird communities.In this study,we surveyed the wintering waterbirds at three sub-lakes of Caizi Lakes during 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 and compared the richness,abundance,alpha and beta diversity of waterbirds in and among local metacommunities under earlier flood recession and normal hydrological regime.The results showed that the earlier flood recession reduced the species richness in the early stage and abundance in the late stage,it also reduced the Shannon-Wiener index in the early stage and increased the dissimilarity between and within waterbird metacommunities in the late stage.The partition of beta diversity showed that the turnover component played a major role in the process of waterbird metacommunity assemblage.It was found that the earlier flood recession reduced the richness,abundance in different stages of flood recession,which also increased the turnover of waterbirds.Metacommunities with high habitat heterogeneity had better resistance to abnormal hydrological regime,which resulted in high dissimilarity between and within metacommunities.The results of this study provide important information for waterbird conservation and water level management at shallow lakes in the middle and lower Yangtze River floodplain.
基金Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences,No.XDA23040203National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.41701212STS Project of Chinese Academy of Sciences,No.KFJ-SW-YW026。
文摘The Yangtze River floodplain is critical for migratory waterbirds along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF). Greater awareness of its global importance is urgently needed to ensure waterbird populations remain in favourable conservation status, as well as the enhancement of wider wetland biodiversity within this region. The designation of protected wetland areas and building a green ecological corridor in the Yangtze floodplain is now becoming a critical issue of interest to the Chinese government. Priority sites in this area were identified based on the criteria used to identify sites that qualify as Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Sites) and Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) by using multi-source data. The results show that 140 of the sites surveyed are priority sites. The Importance Index (/) for the whole floodplain decreased slightly from 2001–2005 and an unbalanced distribution pattern is evident with Jiangxi and Hunan provinces significantly higher than the other provinces in the floodplain. Although more than 60% of the priority sites are currently located outside protected areas, the average Conservation Effectiveness Index (C) of the whole floodplain is 75.6%, which suggests the coverage of protected areas for most wintering waterbird population is reasonable. Conservation of the Yangtze River floodplain needs to be further strengthened due to declining waterbird abundances and the mismatch between the distribution of protected areas and their importance for wintering waterbirds. A comprehensive system for priority site identification and protection and scientific review is needed. Multi-sourced data from regular, systematic and coordinated monitoring of waterbird distribution and abundance across the EAAF, as well as national scale citizen science programmes are also critically important.
文摘The wetlands of Casiguran, Aurora, Philippines are primarily the source of livelihood for most of the coastal communities of the area. However, this also serves as a feeding ground for many of the migratory and resident waterbirds. There are waterbird species occurring in the area that need protection but only a few studies of these species exist. This study was conducted from February to March 2019 to census and identify the water birds present in the study site, determine the conservation status and index of abundance of identified waterbirds, and describe their habitat association. Based on the result, 18 waterbird species in five families were present in the area. Family Ardeidae had six representative species, Family Charadriidae had five representative species, Family Scolopacidae had five representative species while only one species represents the Family Anatidae and Family Rallidae. Two waterbird species observed (Anas luzonica and Egretta eulophotes) were listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as vulnerable and another species (Numerius madagascariensis) was listed as endangered. In terms of abundance, Intermediate Egret (Egretta intermedia) was revealed as the most abundant (94.68%) among waterbirds. Different waterbird species prefer specific habitats. Some usually frequent freshwater and saltwater habitats, including mangroves, open sea, and watercourses inside forests while some were observed in mudflats, and rice fields during the survey.
基金jointly funded by the National Key R&D Program of China(Grants No.2022YFF1300904,2023YFF0807201-1)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grants No.42301430,U2243230)the“Young support talents program”from Science and Technology Association of Jilin Province(2024-2026)to Dr.Hengxing Xiang(QT202417)。
文摘Considering the crucial role of wetland conservation in China for the sustainability of biodiversity,it is imperative to identify key habitat functional areas(KHFAs),which are suitable for sustaining waterbirds and ensuring landscape connectivity,to optimize wetland management.This study identifies the past changes,present status,and future patterns of wetland KHFAs in China by using the Zonation model with comprehensive data inputs,including wetland distribution,key bird distribution areas(such as Ramsar sites and Important Bird Areas),and flagship waterbird species.Results show that the current wetland KHFAs in China is 41,613.5 km^(2),mainly in the Sanjiang Plain(SJP),Songnen Plain(SNP),middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River,and the QinghaiXizang Plateau(QXP)regions.The area of wetland KHFAs has been declining since 1990,especially in 2000,mainly due to anthropogenic impacts such as urbanization and agricultural expansion.The future projections suggest a continued decline in the area of wetland KHFAs,although the trend is expected to be slowed.The conservation gap analysis indicates that prioritizing wetland reserves in KHFAs areas,such as the SJP,SNP,and QXP,can significantly enhance the protection of wetland flagship species and their habitats.The results of this study establish conservation priorities that align with national goals of a 55% wetland protection rate and the global biodiversity framework in protected areas and biodiversity,indicating that the spatial conservation optimization approach is an effective method for identifying wetland KHFAs.
基金The Science and Technology Basic Resources Survey Project,No.2021FY101002Wetland Protection and Restoration in China Funded by the Palson Institute and Laoniu Foundation,UNDP-GEF Flyway Project,No.PIMS ID:6110。
文摘Effective conservation relies on robust assessments;however,the lack of waterbird data in the Yellow River Basin(YRB)has led to an underestimation of key habitat significance.This study addressed this gap by evaluating YRB wetland conservation importance using waterbirds as indicators and applying Ramsar,Important Bird Areas(IBA),and East Asian-Australasian Flyway(EAAF)criteria.We integrated coordinated surveys with citizen science data,creating a framework that tackles data deficiencies along the under-monitored Central Asian Flyway(CAF).Our analysis identified 75 priority wetlands,supporting 15 threatened species and 49 exceeding global/flyway 1%thresholds,highlighting the basin's biodiversity.We observed strong seasonal habitat use,with high-altitude wetlands vital for breeding and migration,and the Yellow River Delta providing year-round refuge.This research also provided data to refine Baer's Pochard population estimates.Alarmingly,one-third of the identified priority areas,primarily rivers and lakes,remain unprotected.To address this,we recommend systematic surveys,enhanced protected areas,OECMs,and targeted wetland restoration.This study underscores the YRB's role in regional conservation and provides essential data for adaptive management,particularly emphasizing the CAF's importance.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.42271116)。
文摘As one of the important wintering areas along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway,wetlands in the Yangtze River floodplain face threats from land-use changes,yet its effects on wintering waterbirds at the landscape level remain understudied,impeding conservation practice.Here,using survey data collected across 14 inland lakes in Jiangsu Province in 2022,we calculated wintering waterbirds diversity(taxonomic,functional,phylogenetic)and assembly patterns(MPD/MNTD of functional and phylogenetic).Then,we interpreted satellite imagery of lake areas and buffer zones(5 km),and partitioned them into three land-use and landscape index categories(anthropogenic,ecological,and lake landscape).Finally,we employed multiple linear regression and hierarchical partitioning to explain the influence of landscape scales on wintering waterbird communities.Our results showed that the diversity and assembly of regional wintering waterbird communities tended to be consistent across taxonomic,functional,and phylogenetic dimensions.The standardized diversity indices indicated that functional assembly of communities tends to be clustered at both local and regional scale.In contrast,the phylogenetic structure showed a predominantly overdispersed pattern in most lakes at the local scale,while neutral processes dominated at the regional scale.Modeling showed that selected variables explained waterbird diversity and assembly well.Lake fragmentation increased species evenness but reduced other diversity indices,while landscape evenness was negatively associated with functional and phylogenetic assembly.Among anthropogenic factors,aquaculture ponds and impervious surfaces reduced all diversity dimensions,whereas cropland connectivity enhanced phylogenetic diversity.These factors had consistent effects on community assembly.For ecological variables,grassland area enhanced functional and phylogenetic diversity but led to more clustered functional assembly.Overall,maintaining the integrity and connectivity of lakes and their surrounding landscapes is essential for sustaining waterbird diversity and guiding wetland restoration.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (32401569,32371874)Beijing Natural Science Foundation(6244053)。
文摘Wetland waterbirds serve as key ecological indicators for assessing habitat quality and biodiversity.Accurate identification of waterbird species is a cornerstone of long-term ecological monitoring.The resulting data are critical for assessing wetland ecosystem health and biodiversity.However,prevailing recognition approaches often prioritize detection accuracy at the expense of computational efficiency.They are also hindered by complex background heterogeneity and interspecies visual similarity.These limitations hinder the scalability and practical deployment of such methods for on-site ecological monitoring within wetland ecosystems.To address these challenges,this study proposes an optimized end-to-end framework,ShuffleNetV2-iRMB-ShapeIoU-YOLO(SISYOLO),designed for robust recognition of wetland waterbirds in complex environments.Specifically,the proposed framework integrates ShuffleNetV2 with inverted Residual Mobile Blocks(iRMB) to improve computational efficiency while maintaining robust feature representation.This design further enables deployment on resource-constrained mobile and embedded platforms.Additionally,ShapeIoU,a refined bounding box similarity metric,is introduced to jointly optimize overlap and shape consistency,effectively mitigating misclassification among visually similar species.Experimental results on the IC-Beijing dataset show that SIS-YOLO achieves 91.1% precision and 79.1% mAP@0.5:0.95 with only 2.9 million parameters.Compared with the lightweight baseline YOLOv8n,it improves precision by 2% and mAP@0.5:0.95 by 1.2%,while requiring fewer parameters and offering higher computational efficiency.
基金funded by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Award Number:2022YFC3202104)。
文摘Environmental DNA(e DNA)methods have emerged as a promising tool for studying a broad spectrum of biological taxa.However,metabarcoding studies of avian biodiversity using e DNA have received little attention.In this study,we compared waterbird biodiversity derived from e DNA metabarcoding with that obtained from traditional point counting surveys at 23 sites in Tai Lake of eastern China and evaluated the accuracy of e DNA metabarcoding for waterbird community studies.The point counting method recorded a higher total number of waterbird species(22)compared to the e DNA technique(16).While e DNA achieved a 74.5%detection rate for waterbird species and was able to identify a significantly greater number of species(12.48±1.97)at each sampling site than point counting method(6.13±2.69),particularly highlighting several rare and elusive species,it failed to detect some species commonly observed by the point counting method.The alpha diversity analysis revealed no significant differences in waterbird diversity between the e DNA method and the point counting method,except that the e DNA method exhibited lower Pielou evenness.Waterbird e DNA sequencing abundance correlated significantly with species occurrence,whereas Spearman's analysis indicated no significant difference between e DNA sequence abundance and species abundance from the point counting method.e DNA method detected no significant difference in waterbird composition between sampling sites,while the point counting method revealed significant differences.Consequently,e DNA is an effective complementary tool for assessing the diversity of wintering waterbirds in lakes,though it is unable to capture the full diversity of waterbird communities.It is crucial to develop sampling strategies that comprehensively monitor species composition and integrate e DNA with traditional survey methods for accurate evaluation of community structure.
基金funded by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan,the Scientific Program BR21882199–Cadastre of wild animals of arid territories of the Balkhash-Alakol basin with an assessment of threats for their conservation and sustainable use.
文摘Understanding migration patterns and spatial connectivity is crucial for conserving long-distance migratory birds. While satellite telemetry has advanced the study of large gulls, Pallas's Gull (Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus) remains relatively understudied, with limited data on its migration routes and habitat use, particularly in Central Asia. This study integrates 684 ring recoveries (1968–2024) and GPS tracking data to analyze the migration ecology of individuals breeding at Alakol Lake, Kazakhstan. Ring recoveries confirm migratory connectivity across Kazakhstan, Russia, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Pakistan, with wintering records as far as India, Kuwait, Bangladesh, and Ethiopia. GPS tracking of a single individual (June 2020–August 2021) revealed a migration route from Alakol Lake to the Arabian Sea, with key stopovers at Zaisan Lake, Balkhash Lake, the Aral Sea, Aydar Lake, and the Amu Darya River. Notably, a post-breeding northward dispersal to Zaisan Lake and southern Russia was identified before the southward migration commenced. These findings highlight the significance of Kazakhstan's lakes as breeding and migratory hubs and the need to protect critical stopover sites in Central Asia. Given increasing anthropogenic pressures on wetland habitats, this research provides essential baseline data for conservation planning and enhances the broader understanding of gull migration ecology.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32271605)。
文摘Highly pathogenic avian influenza(HPAI)H5 viruses have caused widespread mortality in wild birds and poultry,with increasing spillover risk into mammals.The recently dominant clade 2.3.4.4b has produced multiple epidemic waves,first driven by H5N8 and more recently by H5N1,which has spread more rapidly,infected a broader host range,and caused higher mortality.While earlier studies identified consistent roles of waterbird community composition in shaping HPAI outbreaks,it remains unclear whether these factors also apply to the currently circulating H5N1.We analyzed HPAI H5N1 outbreaks in European wild birds during the 2021/22epidemic,examining the influence of waterbird communities and environmental variables,and compared these patterns with earlier epidemics,including H5N1 in 2005/06 and H5N8 in 2016/17 and 2020/21.Our results showed that waterbird abundance,species richness,and the abundance of key species were positively associated with disease occurrence,whereas phylogenetic diversity was negatively associated,suggesting greater interspecific transmission among closely related hosts.Models trained on earlier epidemics accurately predicted the H5N1 occurrence in 2021/22.These findings demonstrate consistent effects of waterbird community composition across multiple epidemics and highlight their values as predictors of HPAI risk.Integrating community metrics into surveillance and early-warning systems can strengthen our capacity to anticipate future outbreaks across clades and subtypes.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China [31770571, 31770462, and 31471981]the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities [2016QNA6001]Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation [LZ18C030002).
文摘Nestedness has been a research focus in fields of island biogeography and community ecology in recent decades. Although nestedness of faunal assemblages has been investigated in natural wetlands, it remains largely unknown whether and why waterbird communities in artificial wetlands follow n ested patter ns. We exami ned the existence of n ested ness and un derlyi ng drivers in waterbird comm un ities in subside nee wetlands that are recently created by large-scale un derground coal mining in the North China Plain. Twelve point-count surveys for waterbirds were undertaken approximately every 2 weeks in 55 subside nee wetla nds from September 2016 to April 2017. We used the metric WNODF to estimate nestedness of the assemblages. Partial Spearman rank correlations were performed to examine the association between the nestedness and habitat variables (wetland area, landscape connectivity, wetland age, and habitat diversity) as well as life-history traits (body size, clutch size, dispersal ratio, geographical range size, and migrant status) related to species exti notion risk and colon izati on rate. Waterbird assemblages in the subside nee wetla nds were significantly nested. After controlling for other independent variables, the magnitude of nestedness was significantly and negatively correlated with wetland area and species trait linked to extinction risk (i.e., geographical range size). Our results indicate that selective extinction may be the main driver of the nestedness of waterbird assemblages in our study system. However, the nestedness was not due to passive sampling, selective colonization, or habitat diversity. From a conservation viewpoint, both large wetlands and waterbirds with a small geographic range should be protected to maximize the preserved species richness.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31172117)the Graduate Student Innovation Research Projects of Anhui University (YQH100611)
文摘Background: Parasites have adverse effects on the life and survival of many migratory waterbirds, especially birds on the endangered species list. Hooded Cranes are large migratory colonial waterbirds wintering in wetlands,which are prone to parasite infection, thus monitoring the diversity of parasites is important for sound wetland management and protection of this species.Methods: From November 2012 to April 2013, we collected 821 fresh faecal samples from the three lakes(Poyang,Caizi and Shengjin Lake) in the lower and middle Yangtze River floodplain, and detected with saturated brine floating and centrifugal sedimentation methods. Parasite eggs were quantified with a modified Mc Master's counting method.Results: In this study, 11 species of parasites were discovered, i.e., two coccidium(Eimeria gruis, E. reichenowi), five nematodes(Capillaria sp., Strongyloides sp., Ascaridia sp., Trichostrongylus sp., Ancylostomatidae), three trematodes(Echinostoma sp., Echinochasmus sp., Fasciolopsis sp.) and one cestode(Hymenolepis sp.). About 57.7% of the faecal samples showed parasitic infection. All species of parasites were found at the three sites except Hymenolepis which was not found at Poyang Lake. While most samples were affected by only one or two species of parasites, infection by Eimeria spp. was the most common(53.1%). From One-Way ANOVA analysis of the three lakes, parasite species richness index(p = 0.656), diversity index(p = 0.598) and evenness index(p = 0.612) showed no significant difference. According to the statistical analysis of our data, there were no significant difference in parasite species richness index(p = 0.678) and evenness index(p = 0.238) between wintering periods, but a strong difference in diversity index(p < 0.05).Conclusions: Our study suggests that in the wintering Hooded Crane populations, parasite diversity is more sensitive to changes in the overwintering periods than to locations. This also indicates that with the limitations of migration distance, the parasites may not form the differentiation in Hooded Crane populations of the three lakes.
文摘Construction of man-made objects such as roads and bridges can influence wildlife presence and abundance. We investtigated waterbirds, songbirds, anurans, turtles, small mammals, and furbearers along the Ohio River, WV, at a new bridge crossing, a 45-year old bridge, and 1 or 2 islands with no bridge and at 3 distances from the bridge or center point at each site (0 m,100 m, and300 m). We sampled 19 waterbird, 60 songbird, 7 anuran, 5 turtle, 9 small mammal, and 4 furbearer species. Great blue heron (Ardea herodias) abundances were greater at the site with no bridge. Songbird composition differed among sites and between transects under and away from the bridge with higher abundances or association of rock pigeon (Columba livia) and cliff swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) under the bridges and lower abundances ofCarolinawren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) and common yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) under the bridges. Total small mammal abundance, diversity, and richness were lower under the new bridge compared to other sites and distances. We conclude that overall the new bridge is causing minimal relative abundance impacts to wildlife. However, great blue heron abundance may be altered due to noise and activity from the presence of the bridge and minor short-term impacts to some songbirds and small mammals directly under the bridge in the form of habitat conversion, fragmentation, and loss due to removal of vegetation is apparent.
文摘Background: While agriculture has taken much environmental water in Australia's Murray-Darling Basin, agricultural expansion has resulted in a vast number of farm dams, almost three-quarters of a million in the Murray-Darling Basin alone.Methods: Over a summer we studied(1) waterbird abundance and species richness and(2) the influence of biophysical and landscape characteristics across 49 farm dams at a large mixed-enterprise farm in northern Victoria on the southern reach of the Murray-Darling Basin.Results: On average, dams were found to host 27.1 ± 71.1 individuals/ha and 1.8 ± 2.9 species per pond. Such densities are comparable to those on natural wetlands. Dam surface area and perimeter and amount of vegetation were positively and strongly correlated with the Rallidae density(birds/ha), but no other parameters were strongly correlated with any other functional group. The landscape in which the dams were embedded had a highly significant effect(p < 0.001) on the number of birds found on a dam.Conclusions: Our research needs to be complemented with further studies in other parts of the Basin and on other taxa, but given at our site they supported similar densities of individuals and species to natural wetlands, and given the fact that there are 710,539 farm dams in the Murray-Darling Basin, which hosts much of Australia's waterbird fauna, it is reasonable to suggest that farm dams are overlooked, and possibly very important, avian biodiversity hotspots. It also highlights the importance of a landscape setting, in which dams are situated, on the number of birds using the dams.
基金Financial assistance for the researchers to undertake the initial fieldwork in 2012 was provided by the Friends of Streaky Bay Parks as a Caring for our Country grantThe Royal Society of South Australia provided a research grant to assist with the continuation of the work in 2013
文摘Seagull Lake is an unusual saline lake,having a marine spring connected to a large continental ecosystem.With climate change the balance between the two is likely to change.This lake originated about 6000 years ago as a
